Now that Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould have been officially cut loose from the Liberal caucus, the question lingers as to whether they will remain independents or, ultimately, cross the floor to an opposition party.

Senior Conservatives contacted by the National Post all said that there had been no discussions about wooing Philpott and Wilson-Raybould, and even hinted that it would be inappropriate to do so.

“It’s not the time to have those conversations,” said Lisa Raitt, the Conservatives’ deputy leader.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t corners of the Conservative Party that would heartily welcome the two ex-Liberals. One former senior Conservative strategist called it a “great idea” to invite them into the Tory fold, saying it would be “a huge boon to Scheer’s credibility if he could attract former Liberals of their quality and experience.”

She added, “Do I think it will happen? No.”

Health Minister Jane Philpott during question period in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016.Postmedia File

Andrew MacDougall, a former spokesman for prime minister Stephen Harper, was much less supportive. When asked whether the pair should be wooed into the Tories he answered “absof—inglutely not.”

MacDougall is a vocal defender of both women. In a recent editorial, he called them victims of “Trumpy tribalism.” But he said that getting them to become Tories would quickly undermine their public standing.

“Making them partisan actors would only devalue whatever future revelations they have to share,” he said.

One of the chief criticisms that Liberal partisans are leveling at Philpott and Wilson-Raybould is that by questioning the actions of Justin Trudeau, they are clearing the way for a Conservative electoral victory.

“Our political opponents win when Liberals are divided,” Trudeau said during his speech Tuesday ejecting both from caucus.

In that sense, an image of Wilson-Raybould and Philpott at a lectern standing next to Andrew Scheer would play right into the Liberal narrative lambasting the pair as power hungry dissidents hell-bent on burning down Trudeau’s rule.

Only eight months ago, the Conservatives were successful in getting Ontario Liberal MP Leona Alleslev to defect to their party. At the time, Alleslev cited dissatisfaction with the Liberals’ approach to foreign affairs and trade.

While Alleslev voluntarily left the Liberals over ideological differences, the case of Wilson-Raybould and Philpott is different in that they were forcibly ejected over what they saw as a principled stand for prosecutorial independence.

“These two women have done something that transcends politics,” said Alberta conservative MP Michelle Rempel, the Conservatives’ critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

“This can’t be about asking whether they will be useful in an election, rather, we need to look inwardly and ask how all Members of Parliament can give them respect for standing in support of the independence of our judiciary.”

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There’s also the question of whether Wilson-Raybould or Philpott would even want to be Tories.

It would be a particularly tough sell to get Wilson-Raybould to sign on with the Conservatives: Back when she was regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations she was frequently at odds with the government of Stephen Harper.

She was a fierce critic of the Conservatives’ First Nations Financial Transparency Act and was frequently in the news to denounce what she saw as a lack of Tory consultation with Indigenous people in pursuing resource projects.

“Our relationship with the federal government remains challenged, to say the least,” Wilson-Raybould said in 2014.

If the events of the last few weeks have proven anything, it’s that Wilson-Raybould seems to prioritize principle over career ambitions – something that could make her immune to even the most generous Tory offer.

The same appears to be true of Philpott. She is a relative newcomer to politics and has no longstanding ties to the Liberal brand. She is described by friends as a “woman of deep Christian faith” and also represents a riding that was recently blue. When Philpott won election in 2015, she defeated Paul Calandra, a former parliamentary secretary to prime minister Harper.

However, as health minister she also championed a number of policies that were opposed by the prior Conservative government, including medically assisted dying and harm reduction.

In Philpott’s Tuesday statement issued after her ejection from caucus, she continued to express loyalty to Liberal policies, saying that her actions were all motivated by a desire to avoid the “consequences” of letting the SNC-Lavalin issue slip by without government acknowledgement.

“This also isn’t about political advantage or strategy,” she wrote. “It is frankly absurd to suggest that I would leave one of the most senior portfolios in government for personal advancement or merely out of friendship with Jody Wilson-Raybould.”

While someone might eat a Beyond Meat burger for ethical reasons, it does little for that person's health. In fact, it might be more harmful than good

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